Electromagnetic radio propagation in the lower atmosphere often exhibits unexpected behavior created by non-standard distributions of the radio refractivity of the atmosphere. The basic cause and effect have been understood since the 1940's and over the past four decades numerous techniques have been developed in an attempt to assess such effects as they occur. Generally, these techniques have proven either too complicated or too cumbersome for tactical military operations because of the amount of data handling that is required or because of the inherently involved atmospheric and propagation physics models that must be used for proper assessments.